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Hitting Drops At Varying Speeds

Once you master basic dropping form, it’s wise to work on taking a drop at varying speeds while creating a similar outcome at each speed. When I’m on the trail, I’m often at the mercy of the terrain in terms of how fast I can approach a drop. One thing that often causes riders to lose confidence in their ability to take a particular drop is that the approach might be slower than what they are comfortable with. Practicing dropping at lower speeds can be challenging, but will reward the rider on the trail.

When teaching riders to drop properly, one of the main elements I discuss is the ability to move the hips rearward from the time the front wheel is leaving the drop, until the time the rear wheel leaves the drop. The slower I’m going the longer this will take, meaning the rider will have to shift rearward more dramatically and will end up further back on the bike as they leave the drop. This requires the confidence and ability to move more dynamically than I might need to at a faster speed.

In order to work on this, find a drop you are comfortable with, and very slightly decrease your speed each time you go off. Practice increasing the amount your hips shift rearward as your speed decreases. Eventually, you will become very comfortable taking drops at a range of speeds with your body adjusting automatically.

If you need help with proper dropping technique before getting started with varying your speed, be sure to check out my feature length movie, Fluidride: Like a Pro available on my website, or on I-Tunes.